Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Recommending a Book That's Out of This World

As I write this review, I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm. I need to surrender and just start with a command:

Read The Martian.
Go buy it now and start reading it. When you have to take a break from
time to time, and you may, pop back here and read this review.

Okay,
now that we have that out of the way, here's my review: I loved this
book. I would rank it as one of the best books I've read this year.

The
buzz was pretty high from readers and reviewers, and I heard there was a
movie in the works starring Matt Damon. When Amazon advertised the book
for a ridiculously low price, I downloaded it to encourage myself to
read it. There it lingered.

My friend Melanie and her son listened to it on a recent road trip, and her description intrigued me:

Remember
that scene in Apollo 13 when the engineers needed to build a filter out
of items than astronauts could find on the space ship? That's what this
book is like, only even better.

My dad was one of
those engineers who helped the Apollo 13 crew, and I always admired his
ability to problem-solve and learn how to do and build anything. I knew I
had to read the book.

I am so glad I did. I learned
how to use my Kindle highlights just so I could re-read the good parts
and highlight them for future enjoyment. There were plenty: not only was
Mark Watney's personal records entertaining and honest, but his sense
of humor was relatable and geeky. As much as I liked Mark, I admired him
for his response to JPL on Sol 98 (2), when he was instructed to "watch
his language."

The story was enjoyable but intense:
Mark lived in a hostile environment where anything could happen to him.
He could be injured or die, and I wasn't sure if I could trust
Weir to write a story with a "happy ending," whatever that might be (and
as the story progressed, that was harder to define). Also, the book was
very technical and detailed, which was exhausting to read. Every once
in a while, I had to set the book down for the day. (Those of you who
are reading this review during such a break: Am I right?) Have faith in
the author: he loves his characters as much as you do, and he remains
true to them throughout the book.

Weir created many
different characters who acted and sounded very different from each
other. He also changed narration style from time to time, which was very
jarring the first time it happened. However, the changes made perfect
sense and strengthened the story.

Often, if I enjoy a book enough, I am loathe to see the movie — but for Matt Damon and The Martian,
I'm willing to overcome that reservation. Personally, I recommend
readers finish the book before watching the movie, in case any of the
magic of Mark's intelligence is glossed over for a Hollywood tale.
(Anyone who does the reverse, let us know how you liked that order.)

One
last thought: I hope this book made you think about Mother Earth, about
how we need to protect her because we can't live without her.

Is anyone else in the Mark Watney Fan Club with me, besides Weir? Let me know!